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Young Mr. Lincoln

Play trailer Poster for Young Mr. Lincoln Released Jun 9, 1939 1h 40m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In this dramatized account of his early law career in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) is born into a modest log cabin, where he is encouraged by his first love, Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore), to pursue law. Following her tragic death, Lincoln establishes a law practice in Springfield, where he meets a young Mary Todd (Marjorie Weaver). Lincoln's law skills are put to the test when he takes on the difficult task of defending two brothers who have been accused of murder.
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Young Mr. Lincoln

Young Mr. Lincoln

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Critics Consensus

Young Mr. Lincoln smartly sidesteps the grandeur of the 16th president's historical significance and instead hones in on his modest decency, powerfully embodied by Henry Fonda.

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Critics Reviews

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Time Out This first product of the Ford-Fonda partnership -- reputedly a favourite not only of Ford but of Eisenstein too -- today commands classic status. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Rangy, folksy, slow-spoken and self-deprecating, Fonda embodies the young Honest Abe persona as comfortably and naturally as the frontier clothes he wears. Rated: B+ Feb 12, 2006 Full Review Emanuel Levy Variety One of the decade's most significant works, the film was admired by Soveit director Sergei Eisenstein for its embodiment of the era's spirit and by the French critics of Cahiers du Cinema for its convergence of ideology and style. Rated: A Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy John Ford, as responsible as any filmmaker in shaping our view of US history, here elects to offer a peek at an icon before national events dictated his destiny and sealed his lofty reputation. Rated: 3.5/4 Sep 18, 2021 Full Review Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema We are never as far from the past as we like to think. Rated: 5/5 Jan 17, 2021 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row As Eisenstein pointed out, Ford would go on to make grander, greater films. But none were quite so discreetly powerful as Young Mr. Lincoln . Rated: 4/4 Jun 3, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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acsdoug D Worth watching for Fonda's performance. The cinematography was good too. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/05/25 Full Review Conor S This movie was perfect, the characters, the story were just all amazing! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/05/25 Full Review steve d Fantastic biopic about a little-known part of Abe's life. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Henry Fonda's Lincoln is earnest, thoughtful and a terrific antidote to today's political climate. If you want to remember what being American is supposed to mean, while still seeing all of the raw mob mentality that our freedoms can sometimes bring out, rent this timeless classic. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Julia M Released in 1939, Young Mr. Lincoln has never received the same level of attention as a number of other films of that year. Yet in its own quiet way Young Mr. Lincoln is as great a masterpiece as The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Wuthering Heights, or Stagecoach. With Henry Fonda in the title role, the film is a character study of a young man who opts to learn the law and work within its limits to make a better world. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/19 Full Review Ed M Fonda's a legend but the movie is just okay. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/07/18 Full Review Read all reviews
Young Mr. Lincoln

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this dramatized account of his early law career in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) is born into a modest log cabin, where he is encouraged by his first love, Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore), to pursue law. Following her tragic death, Lincoln establishes a law practice in Springfield, where he meets a young Mary Todd (Marjorie Weaver). Lincoln's law skills are put to the test when he takes on the difficult task of defending two brothers who have been accused of murder.
Director
John Ford
Producer
Darryl F Zanuck
Screenwriter
Lamar Trotti
Distributor
Key Video, 20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox, Cosmopolitan Productions
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 9, 1939, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 8, 2015
Runtime
1h 40m
Sound Mix
Mono
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